RACE-HOESES.] 



THE HOESE, AND. 



[eace-hoeses. 



un annuity of five hundred pounds on his own 

 life, and the annual privilege of sending sis 

 mares to the horse, as the price for Eclipse. 

 O'Kelly affirmed, that he had acquired upwards 

 of twenty-five thousand pounds by Eclipse. 



Of the speed of this animal too much cannot 

 be said ; but we have no rule by which to judge 

 of his stoutness or game, since no cotemporary 

 racer was able to run for a moment by his side, 

 far less able to try his power of continuance. 

 If it be said, that he contended with middling 

 horses only, the two or three capital ones that 

 met him, having passed their prime, it must 

 be remembered that those liorses he distanced, 

 and probably could have doubly distanced. 

 The jockeys rarely if ever held liim. The 

 liorse was always allowed to ruu according to 

 his own will, yet he never swerved from his 

 course, and, at the ending post, pulled up easily 

 enough. O'Kelly, his proprietor, was yet 

 apprehensive that he might, at some time, 

 break away ; and when the horse run over the 

 course at York, with twelve stone, which he 

 was judged to have performed in eight minutes, 

 a number of men were placed at the ending 

 post, with the view of stopping him, in case 

 the jockey should be unable to pull him up — 

 a precaution which proved entirely needless. 

 He never felt the whip or spur on any occasion. 

 The only cotemporary which was supposed 

 to have any pretensions to contend with 

 Eclipse, was Mr. Shaftoe's famous Goldfinder, 

 by Snap, a beautiful and long-reached brown 

 animal. He was never beaten, and would 

 have met Eclipse, to run for the King's plates, 

 but he broke down previously. 



The characteristics of the Eclipse racers 

 were speed and size ; and many of tliem bent 

 their knees, and took up their feet in the 

 gallop, with extraordinary activity. If few of 

 them were stout, still fewer of them wanted 

 steadiness, a restive or swerving horse being 

 seldom found of that blood. 



The eye of Turf science is directed, in the 

 portrait of Eclipse, to the curve in the setting- 

 on of his head, to his short fore-quarter, to the 

 slant, extent, and substance of his shoulder, 

 the length of his waist, and the breadth of his 

 loins ; to the extent of his quarters, and the 

 length and substance of his thighs and fore- 

 arms. Although a strong, he was a thick- 

 winded horse ; and, in a sweat or under severe 

 76 



exercise, was beard to blow at a considerable 

 distance. 



Eclipse first covered at fifty guineas ; aftei- 

 wards at twenty, being stinted to fifty mares, 

 exclusive of those of his owner ; ultimately 

 at thirty guineas. In his progeny are ranked 

 no fewer than three hundred and thirty-four 

 winners. 



In 1788, his feet having been neglected, he 

 was removed from Epsom to Cannons, in a 

 four-wheeled carriage, drawn by two horses, 

 his groom being an inside passenger with him. 

 The old racer and his attendant took their 

 necessary refreshments on the road together. 

 This splendid quadruped died at Cannons in the 

 following year, on February 28th, aged twenty- 

 five years ; and, according to the precedent of 

 the Godolphin Arabian, cakes and ale were 

 given at his funeral. His heart weighed 

 thirteen pounds ; and his skull was extremely 

 large. It was shown to Dr. Spurzheira, one of the 

 celebrated founders of phrenology, who thus 

 remarked upon the powers of the animal, 

 judging from the craniological development: — 

 " The leading characteristics of Eclipse," he 

 said, " were a remarkably large brain, not only 

 in proportion to the size of the animal, but to 

 horses in general ; indicating great and high 

 courage, unusual sagacity, but deficient in meek- 

 ness, or rather possessed of a vicious temper." 

 He further remarked that considerable difficulty 

 must have been experienced in rendering such 

 an animal subservient to his rider ; but that, 

 when subdued, he could be best governed by 

 gentle treatment, and would prove docile under 

 proper authority. The professor's observations 

 have been esteemed remarkably correct. 



There was an uncertainty in Eclipse's pedi- 

 gree, arising from the circumstance of his dam 

 having been barren in the previous year, and, 

 in the next, covered by both Shakespeare 

 and Marsk, and not coming to Shakespeare's, 

 but to Marsk's time. A strong resem- 

 blance, however, existed in Eclipse, to the 

 progeny of Shakespeare, in the particulars 

 of colour, temper, and certain peculiarities ot 

 form. 



Mr. John Lawrence, who was well acquainted 

 with this animal, says — " Never, to the eye of a 

 sportsman, was there a truer-formed galloper 

 in every part ; and his countenance and figure, 

 as he stood in his box, notwithstanding his 



